Bottom Left Politics

Your daily dose of politics, with a progressive twist.

Sotomayor Confirmed, Along With Republican Irrelevance

Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s position as the first Latina justice on the Supreme Court wasn’t the only thing to be confirmed today on the Senate floor.

In fact, her ascension to the highest bench in the land was perhaps overshadowed by the sheer, screaming irrelevance of the Republican Party that was on full display as the Senators cast their votes.  In all, 31 Republicans set aside an objective review of her qualifications as a jurist and voted against her confirmation.  Why?  Because she’s a liberal.  Because she’s an activist judge.  Because of affirmative action.  Because of gun control.  Because of property rights.  Undoubtedly, because of pressure from religious groups concerned about one issue and one issue only (aside from keeping gays from loving each other):  abortion.  31 GOP Senators blatantly ignored Sotomayor’s impartiality and qualifications as a judge, choosing instead to obstruct President Obama’s first Supreme Court nomination based upon right-wing talking points and baseless claims of judicial activism.

And I’m glad.  I’m glad that 31 Republicans stood up and attempted to derail Sotomayor.  Because they failed, and Judge Sotomayor was confirmed, along with the stupidity, racism, sexism, ignorance, and (above all) irrelevance of the Republican Party.  Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had this to say of the occasion:

Years from now, we will remember this time, when we crossed paths with the quintessentially American journey of Sonia Sotomayor, and when our nation took another step forward through this historic confirmation process.

Yes.  And, years from now, we will remember this time with a sense of disdain for the Republican Party, which will almost undoubtedly be reduced and confined to the Deep South and Utah.  This is truly an historic moment – both for Judge Sonia Sotomayor and for the GOP, which now faces an even quicker slide into demise.  The Party of No just confirmed its permanent status as a whites-only club.

And, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a beautiful thing.

The blogger, Kristofer Paul, can be reached at bottomleftpolitics@yahoo.com.

August 6, 2009 Posted by Kristofer Paul | GOP/Right Wing, Supreme Court | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Let the Battle Begin

Shit just can’t happen fast enough on the U.S. political scene;  just when we think we have a full plate, a Supreme Court justice goes and retires, leaving President Obama with a legitimate situation on his hands.  On the one hand, he can replace Justice Souter with a likeminded liberal, and, on the other hand, he can go against his electoral base (as well as the majority of the American electorate) and appoint a conservative wingnut.  We know that these are his choices.  But Obama, a genuine legal scholar, has a more pragmatic approach, announcing his intent to appoint a person who possesses an understanding of justice and the rule of law.  Who could argue?

Right-wingers could.  They’re gearing up already, putting on their camo and helmets, pulling out their arsenal of weapons (which, thanks be unto Jesus, hasn’t been confiscated by the liberals yet), and preparing for the battle of a lifetime.  Their beef?  Obama didn’t include a couple of crucial criteria – first, a desire to repeal a woman’s well-established right to privacy, and, second, a disdain for queers.  What’s all this talk about justice and legal scholarship? – we just want someone who can make women stop murdering their children and send the queers back to the closet!  Come on, boys!  Let’s go make our voices heard!

And so it begins.  You can bet that, no matter who Obama seeks to appoint (because, let’s face it – he’s not going to pick an opponent of Roe v. Wade or gay rights), the reactionary Right will be fully mobilized to thwart the confirmation.  They’ll dig up everything they can dig up…from the nominee’s childhood to the present, maybe even alleged connections with radical professors (God forbid that he should nominate someone with a connection to law professor Bernardine Dohrn) and past support for such atrocities as a woman’s right to choose.  It’s going to get ugly.  Will Obama win?  Of course.  But not before the Republican Party and the Religious Right (one in the same) continue to self-destruct to the detriment of our nation.

So let the battle begin.

May 5, 2009 Posted by Kristofer Paul | GOP/Right Wing, Supreme Court | , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Thank God for the Supreme Court.

Over the years, the Supreme Court has made some pretty stupid mistakes. This much is clear. But, on the whole, thank GOD that we can generally count on the Supreme Court to be the voice of logic and reason in this country. Where would we be without it?

I’ll tell you where we’d be. We’d still be talking – SERIOUSLY, mind you – about the status of Obama’s citizenship.

The Supreme Court has just declined to hear the challenge of Obama’s citizenship (Donofrio v. Wells). You know, I’m not even sure of what the argument was. Apparently, though, conservative activists have been using the Internet and conservative media to promote this egregious challenge of Obama’s very American citizenship. The reasoning? Again, I’m not sure. Much like the Supreme Court, I don’t find this worth too much research. One can be assured that it was a load of right-wing garbage. I believe, though, that it had something to do with Obama’s father’s citizenship. I think most HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS who have taken a frickin’ Civics class understand, though, that any person born on American soil is an American citizen, regardless of whether or not his or her parents are citizens. Hawaii, of course, has been a state since 1959. Oh, wait…he was born in Kenya, right? Yeah, that’s why they hid the birth certificate, of course.

My God. These people need to get a life. And quickly. Frankly, it’s starting to get ridiculous.

Fortunately, this is the last the legal system should hear about it. I mean, this is the same legal system that granted George W. Bush the Presidency when it was clear to most sane individuals that he did not win the 2000 election; where was the outrage then? Where was the activism? But now, eight years later, in the midst of an economic recession and two wars, and in spite of the fact that America voted to reject the GOP agenda, legal challenges are being made based upon obscure evidence that wouldn’t hold up on The People’s Court, much less in front of the Supreme Court. Where are our priorities? And what – JUST WHAT – if the Supreme Court would rule that Obama is not eligible to be elected? What then, conservatives?

I’m telling you, these people absolutely despise this country and everything it’s supposed to stand for.

December 9, 2008 Posted by Kristofer Paul | Barack Obama, Supreme Court | , , , | No Comments Yet